Ore-concentrator.



H. 11. & LSULMAN.

on GONCENTRATOR'. APPLICATION. FILED JULY 31, 1906.

Patented Oct. 27, 1908.

UN TED PAT ioF-Flfl J N VINGsToNE sULM'AN 'A ND, IEvAN AsraAY-sULMANQ OFLONDON, .EN GLAN'Dfi vention comprises a fixed surface over which i Iare fed, and means for alternately exposing.-

"the ore to the air and to the edge oft .To all whom it may concern:

Be *it known that we, HENRY Liv-rues STONE SULM 'N and EVANAsPnAY-SULMAN, subjects of the King of England, residin at don," Ide rwhich receiveslthe' material discharged ASSIGNORS To MI ERAS:snrAnArroniLIMITEn'oF,LoNnonnNeLANn.

' onn-concnnrnnron.

London, England, 1 and Highgate, Lon

England, respectively, have invented a 'cers taln new and. usefulOre-Concentrator," of

launder carrying thefloating material.

which the following is a spetzidc'ationi- This invention relates toimprovements in ore concentratora'the objectbeing to rovide suitablemeans fors'eparating' metal ifer'ous'j particles from gangueor'from oneanother.

Hitherto it has been proposedlto separate mineral particles which areimmersed. lnlid uid by] causing the particles tobe exposed tothe air'andthereafter to ,meet the edge or su'rface of liquid, whereby certainparticles float and are separated from the remainder.

apparatus previously suggested,- the.

In the.

powders orewascarried' on' some form of moving surface, such as avanning 1 table or c'onveyer, I g I An ore concentrator accordlng tothis 111- the powdered ore and a thin layer ofliquid e liq-- uid wherebycertain particles are caused to float, and are separated from theremainder.

'The apparatus may consist of a fixed inelined surfaceover whichpowdered ore. will 7 .not flow, 'means. for distributing a thin streamof liquid over the surface,- means for supplying powdered" ore. 'to'thesurface, a. movable body having a flexible edge in con-" tact withthesurface, means for sweeping the body over the surface toremove the a erof liquid temporarily from the ore and a so'to feed the oreove'r thesurface and'means for collecting the floating and immersed materialswhich are discharged from the surface.

In a preferred form of the apparatus the surface on whichseparationtakes lace is a fiat conical buddle having asmoot surface, convenientlofrubber; A vertical shaft is rotated at t e-center of the buddle and arecepta'cle for powdered ore is carried on the shaft and .a conduit fromsaid receptaclefeeds the powdered ore on to the buddle. Perforatedliquid-distributing pipes radiate from the shaft; liquid is su' plied tothe pipes by any suitable means am a thin stream of liquidis thusproduced over thehuddle,

Arms radiating from the shaft, and preferably in the form of volutes,have rubber Specification ot'rietters Patent Application med iuiy '31,1905. seria1'No.. a2s;55i.

-ti-ve view, partly in section, of one form. of "app m dying thisinvention.

f'bu'ddle may conveniently be covered with india' rubber, WOOCl, orother smooth mate the centerof thebuddle, is supported in suit- 4fatented bet, 27,,108.

=fro'n 1 itssurfa'ce and a second launder is air-- ranged'to receive theoverflow from the first The accompanying draw ng is a perspec-.

. A conical buddle A is inclined at a small arr-file, say one in twenty,such that theme not flow overit of its own accordv and the rial;

A rotatable vertical shaftB passes through able be'aringsB and is drivenby suitable 'gearB A receptacle C for the ore' may be' carried on theshaft, and conduits C convey the ore from the. rece tacle C on to thebud-' die A. Liquid-distr buting pipes D, which may; be straight orcurved, radiate from the shaftvB'. Li uid such as acidified water issupplied to; tese pipes througha suitable conduit D and the pipes areperforated, as at D so 'as to-distribute a thin layer ofliquid over thehuddle. Arms E, preferably in the formof'volutes, radiate from the shaftB and have flexible, edges or-squeegees E incontactiwith the surface ofthe huddle. By

fsquee'gee we mean a flexible edge such asrubberswhich isc'apable whilebeing moved 'over a slightly uneven surface of adapting itself to thatsurface and of removing water therefrom. The 'eriphery of the buddledips into an annu ar launder F into whic'h the solid particles whichremain on the surnearvthe center and is 5 read out over the 105;,

surface of the buddle by t 1e rotating arms E. 'The distributing pipes Dcause a thin layer of Y liquid'to flow over the surface of the huddletowards its periphery. As the arms E, car

rying the squeegees E of india rubber or 110 face of the buddlearedischarged. A second other flexible material, pass over the surface ofthe buddle, the so (1 matter is partly pushed forward'by'the arms andtherefore caused to pass towards the circumference of the huddle, and atthe same time the squeegees pass over the articles,-temporarily removingthe liquid t erefrom,-so that the particles are exposed ,to the-air. Thelayer of liquid from the'distributers D then passesv over the surfaceagain and, as the oncoming film'of liquid meets the particles, certainof these are caused to float and remain floating on the iiid after ithas assed over the huddle. fhe material-wine remains on the surface ofthe-huddle gradually fedoutwards-and sinks into the launder F atitheperipliery, :While the particleswhich float .on

' of'liquid 'over the siirface, a movable body on the surface to removethe film of water liquid temporarily from the ore and also to havin aflexible sqilieegee edge in contact with t e surface su 'cientlyflexible to pass over the ore while exerting sufficient pressuretherefrom, means for sweeping the body over the surface in a directionat right angles to the direction of flow of the water to cause the oreto be alternately exposed to the air and to the edge of the liquid.

2. In an apparatus for concentrating ores thecombination'of a fixedinclined surface over which powdered ore will not flow,

means for continuously distributing a thin stream of liquid over thesurface, means for supplying powdered ore to' the surface, a movablebody having a flexible squeegee edge in contact with the surfacesuflicientl'y flexible to pass over the ore while exerting sufficientpressure on the surface to remove the film of water therefrom, -means.for sweeping the body over the surface in a direction at right anglesto the direction of flow of .the water to remove the layer of feed theore over the surface.

3. In an apparatus for'concentrating ores the combination of a fixedinclined surface over which powdered ore will not flow,

.means for continuously distributing a thin stream of liquid over thesurface, means for suppl ing powdered ore to the surface, a movable bodyhaving a flexlble squeegee edge in contact wlth the surface sufficientlyform, butit is to be understood flexible-to pass over the ore whileexerting suflicient pressure on the surface to remove the film of watertherefrom, means for sweep ing the bodyover the surface in a directionatright' angles to the direction of flow of the water to remove thelayer of liquid temporarily' from'the ore and also to feed the ore overthe surface, means for collect-ing the floating material from thesurface, and means foricollocting the discharged material which does notfloat. a

4, lnflan apparatus for concentrating ores the combinat on with a fixedinclined. surface over which powdered ore anda thin layer of liquid arecontinuously feed of' a squeegee sufficientlyflexible to pass over theore while exerting sufficient pressure on the-surface to remove the filmof water therefrom whlch 1s swept 'over the surface intermittently in adirection at right angles to the direction of flow of the water toremove the layer of liquid from the ore, whereby the oreis alternatelyexposed tothe air and to the advancing edge of the layer 'of liquid.

p 5. In an ore concentrator the combination of a fixed conical surfaceof wide angle at the apex, means for continuously distributing a thinstream of liquid over the surface, means for su lying powdered ore tothe surface, a mova e arm having a flexible squeegee edge in contactwith the surface sufficiently flexible to pass over the ore whileexerting sufficient pressure on the surface to remove the film of watertherefrom, means for sweeping the arm over the surface in a direction atright angles'tothe direction of flow of the water to remove the layer ofliquid temporarily from the ore and to feed the ore over the surface,means for collecting the floating material from the surface and meansfor collecting the discharged material which. does not float.

6. In an ore concentrator the combination of a fixed conical surface ofwide angle at the apex, a rotatable vertical shaft at the centerthereof, means for rotating the shaft, means for su plying powdered oreon to the buddle, a pe orated l1quid-distributing pipe radiating fromthe shaft, and means for supplying liquid continuously thereto toproduce a thin stream of liquid over the huddle, arms radiating from theshaft, flexible squeegee edges on the arms sufficiently flexible to passover the ore while vexerting sufficient pressure on the surface toremove the film of water therefrom in contact with the surface to removethe layer of liquid temporarily from the ore and to feed the ore overthe buddle, means for collecting the floating material discharged fromthe huddle and means for collecting the dischargedmaterial which doesnot float.

7 In an ore concentrator the combination of a fixed conical surface ofwide angle at the apex, a rotatable vertical shaft at the centerthereof, means for rotat ng the shaft, a receptacle for, powdered orecarried on the uously thereto to produce a tlun'stream of liquid overthe huddle, volute arms radiating from the shaft, flexible squeegeeedges on the arms sufficiently flexible to pass over the ore whileexerting sufiicient pressure on the surface to remove the'fllm of watertherefrom in contact with the surface to remove the layer of liquidtemporarily from the ore and to feed the ore over the huddle, means forcollecting the floating material discharged from the huddle and meansfor collecting the discharged material which doesnot float.

8. ln an ore concentrator the combination of a fixed conical surface ofwide angleat the a ex, a rotatable vertical shaft at the center t ereof,means for rotating the shaft, -a receptacle for powdered, ore carried onthe shaft, a conduit from said rece tacle to feed powdered ore on to thebudd e, perforated liquid-distributing pipes radiating from the shaft,andmeans for supplying liquid continuously thereto to produce a thinstream of liquid over the huddle, volute arms radiating from the shaft,flexible squeegee edges on the arms sufficiently flexible to pass overthe ore while exerting sufficient pressure on the surface to remove thefilm of water therefrom in contact with thesurface toremove the layer ofliquid temporarily from the ore and to feed the ore over the huddle, afirst launder at the periphery of the huddle to receive the materialdischarged from its surface, and a second launder arranged to receivethe overflow carrying the floatirigmaterial' 9. In an ore concentratorthe combination of a fixed conical surface of wide angle at the apex andcovered with rubber, a rotatable vertical shaft atthe center, means forrotat ing the shaft, a receptacle for powdered ore carried on-the shaft,a conduit from said receptacle to feed the huddle, perforatedliquid-distributing pipes radiating from the shaft and means forsupiplying liquid continuously thereto to pro duce a thin stream ofliquid over the huddle, volute arms radiating from the shaft, rubber sueegee edges on the arms sufliciently flexible to passover the ore whileexerting sufficient ressure on theisurface to remove the film of watertherefrom in contact withthe surface to remove the layer of liquidtempo- 'rarily from the ore and to feed the ore over the huddle, a firstlaunder at the periphery of the huddle to receive the materialdischarged from its surface and a second launder arranged to receive theoverflow from the first launder carrying floating material.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY LIVINGSTONE'SU'LMAN EVAN ASPRAY SULMAN.

Vitnesses:

ALBERT OWEN WILLIAMS, VViLLIAM H. BALLANTYNE.

owdered ore on to the

